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Ashland, Bayfield counties outline Comprehensive Community Services eligibility and goals
Summary
A recorded provider training reviewed the counties' Comprehensive Community Services (CCS) program: Medicaid funding, person‑centered and recovery goals, eligibility, and the shared services model used by Ashland and Bayfield County.
Julie Winter, quality control and improvement coordinator for Ashland and Bayfield County CCS programs, used a provider training recording to review how counties operate Comprehensive Community Services and why the program differs from traditional outpatient care.
CCS is funded by Medicaid and intended as a rehabilitative, person‑centered program to support people with mental health and/or substance‑use barriers in community settings or the participant’s home. “CCS is a rehabilitative person centered program,” Winter said, describing CCS as a service intended to sit between outpatient therapy and inpatient care and to be delivered where participants live and engage in community life.
Why it matters: Medicaid funding and the program’s rehabilitative mandate shape what supports can be provided, how providers are paid and documented, and how participant choice and medical necessity are assessed. Winter said the program’s objective is to teach skills so participants can move toward more independent supports; she added there is no fixed time limit on enrollment because progress is individualized.
How participants enter and receive services: Winter described a four‑step flow used in both counties. A service facilitator leads a service‑planning meeting that captures (1) the participant’s goal in their own words, (2) barriers preventing progress, (3) available natural supports, and (4) supports the CCS team can authorize. The service plan ties each authorized support to the participant’s stated goal; only service facilitators can add or change authorizations. Winter emphasized that choice of provider is required by the administrative code and explained providers supply biographies so facilitators can offer participant choice.
Common supports and limits: The training listed the most frequently authorized supports—individual skill development and enhancement, peer support, family or individual psychoeducation and psychotherapy—and explained who may provide each support under DHS 36. Winter noted some services commonly thought of as “recreational” (for example, yoga or community integration activities) may be reimbursed only when tied to a documented medical necessity and a rehabilitative goal. She also highlighted two supports that Medicaid requires be billed through CCS when the participant is enrolled: outpatient psychotherapy and adult mental health day treatment, as described in ForwardHealth guidance.
Shared services and local differences: The Ashland and Bayfield programs operate a “shared services model” (shared staff supporting both counties). Winter flagged a local policy difference affecting travel and in‑vehicle service: Bayfield County permits billable support while riding with a participant in the provider’s vehicle in some cases; Ashland County does not. She advised providers to confirm which county’s policy applies before scheduling joint travel with a participant.
Ending: Winter pointed providers to the counties’ resource pages, the ForwardHealth online handbook, and the program referral form for additional detail and to the QR code included in the training to submit referrals.
